Between 30-40% of incoming college freshmen are undecided on a major when they enter college. It’s also estimated that between 75-80% of students change their majors during their college careers.

Is it good to be open minded about your studies or does jumping around majors hurt you in the process?

Leave your answer in the comments below or tweet at  @Cappex to chime in (we’ll post your answer below)!

How now, college-bound spirit! Whither wander you?  -Mostly Shakespeare with a little bit of Cappex

Hark! Midsummer is here,
July’s halfway through.
A new school year’s so near,
so many things to do.

The college search ignites fears,
from now till you’re in.
So prop up your ears,
Cappex gives you tips to help you win.

If you need that translated, here’s what we said: Believe it or not, summer is flying by. So be sure you’re making the most out of your free time to get some important college search things down.  In honor of it being midsummer, and because Shakespeare was a chill dude, our list shall be called:

A Midsummer Night’s College Checklist:

1.  Start studying and/or register for the ACT or SAT
Many of you have already taken the ACT or SAT (either of which you’ll likely need to apply to a 4-year university or college). But if you haven’t, or just don’t like what your score looks like yet, no worries; you still have time! The next date for the ACT is September 10, and you have until August 12, 2011 to register. The next date for the SAT is October 1, and you have until September 9 to register.  That gives you plenty of time to register and hit the books.

Don’t forget! Even though many college applications have you write-in your ACT or SAT scores, you’ll probably be asked to have College Board (SAT) or ACT send your official scores.

2. Contact colleges you’re interested in
Make some contact with the colleges you’re interested in.  They like to see that you reached out to them before you applied–it shows that you’re truly interested and may possibly enroll if accepted.  You may want to schedule an interview or a informational meeting with an alumnus in your area. If you do wind up having an interivew, make sure to follow our interview advice.

3. Visit colleges
Nothing gives you insight into a college or university the way a college visit does. It’s the only way you can actually experience what campus life is like. You can read all you want about your dream school’s history, when and how it was founded, where its original campus was built, what secret tunnel runs between the library and president’s house, the complete, unabridged list of which celebrities are alumni–you can go on! But just know, a visit to a campus will do you just as well. And considering you have some free time in summer, it’s a great opportunity to go now.

4. Rough drafts of your essay
Hopefully you’ve gotten a hold of the applications for the schools you’re most interested in applying to. Just like the phrase, “With great power, comes great responsibility,” with each application, comes a fairly hard essay question to answer. Perhaps that example was ill-fitting, but with any application, comes some sort of essay you’ll have to write. Bored on a Wednesday night because your shift got cancelled and all you’re friends are out of town ? Perfect! Start drafting those college essays!

5. Scholarships
Jan Brady once eloquently stated, “Scholarships, scholarships, scholarships.” She’s right. No matter what kind of stunt Jan is pulling, our attention will always linger back to scholarships. It’s the heart of the matter, because they will help you ultimately pay for college. Get a head start on your scholarship search. Start by making a Cappex profile to match you with scholarships that best fit you.

Have you checked anything off these items off your list yet? What steps do you think rising seniors should make before school starts again? Leave comment!

Bapst Library - Boston College

Your dorm room can get cramped.  Plus, it might be hard to concentrate when your theater major roommate is practicing his monologue for the Glengarry Glen Ross audition, so why not study in your college library?

Chances are you’ve got a beautiful one just a couple minutes away.

Here are the top 25 most beautiful college libraries according to CampusGrotto:
1. Bapst Library, Boston College
2. William W. Cook Legal Research Library, University of Michigan
3. Suzzallo Library, University of Washington
4. Butler Library, Columbia University
5. Fisher Fine Arts Library, Penn
6. Chancellor Green Library, Princeton
7. Doe Library, UC Berkeley
8. Harper Library, University of Chicago
9. Frederick Ferris Thompson Memorial Library, Vassar
10. Sterling Memorial Library, Yale
11. Firestone Library, Princeton
12. Powell Library, UCLA
13. George Peabody Library, Johns Hopkins University
14. Widener Library, Harvard
15. Special Collections Library, University of Virginia
16. Perkins/Bostock Library, Duke University
17. Riggs Library, Georgetown University
18. Bizzell Memorial Library, University of Oklahoma
19. Rush Rhees Library, University of Rochester
20. Baker Hall, Harvard
21. Williston Library, Mount Holyoke College
22. Uris Library, Cornell
23. Monroe Library, Loyola University New Orleans
24. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale
25. Baker Memorial Library, Dartmouth

A new study by Cappex.com shows that students are researching information on college websites from their mobile devices, though traditional channels such as email are still relied upon most to keep students on track during their college searches.

The Cappex study of more than 2,000 class of 2011 and 2012 high school students, as well as 82 college admission officers, also shows that videos are more popular for college searching than blogs on college sites.

Specific findings from the study include:

• 86 percent of 2011 high school grads prefer e-mail for initial contact from colleges
• Just 19 percent of 2011 high school grads want initial direct contact from colleges by cell phone, though 32 percent prefer to continue a dialogue with college admissions reps by cell phone
• 77 percent of 2011 high school grads prefer using a mobile-friendly version of a college’s website, while 23 percent would prefer to download an app from a college
• Class of 2012 high school students are somewhat more receptive to apps: 35 percent would prefer to download an app
• 34 percent of colleges surveyed said that they have created a mobile-friendly version of their website. Of those that have not yet created one, two thirds plan to create one this year
• More than 85 percent of 2011 high school seniors prefer to learn about colleges through video tours and student videos, while just 6 percent are interested in reading college blogs during their college searches

“When it comes to communicating with colleges, students are more open than ever to using their mobile devices and cell phones, though colleges need to understand their preferences,” said Chris Long, president of Cappex. “For instance, students may not want to download an app from every college they are looking at, but they will visit a college’s website using their mobile devices.”

“Colleges need to be sure to set up mobile versions of their sites to cater to growing mobile use among students,” Long added. “Additionally, colleges should continue using tried and true methods such as e-mail to make it easy for students to keep track of their interactions with colleges.”

The white paper summarizing the study can be found at http://bit.ly/irOAhX.

It’s a crazy world in those high school halls, especially for a newbie.  What’s even crazier is that it’s actually not that crazy to start thinking about college once you catch your breath.  It may seem unnecessary at the time, considering you still got 4 more school years to go, but in the long run, it will actually ease the stress your college search.

Here are 6 things college-bound high school freshman should keep in mind:

1.  Start Early
Freshman year of high school seems early to to start your college search.  But, it’s more about mental preparedness than anything else.  The college application process is like a 3-ringed circus that you have to run while keeping up with your high school classes. The more you can prepare yourself for it, the smoother time you’ll have.

Sit down with your high school counselor.  Make sure you’re on the path to graduate on time and that you’re taking classes required for most colleges.  Discuss your future with your parents so you can all be on the same page about your goals. College is a big deal–financially and academically–and will have a huge impact on your life. So, how could it hurt to start thinking about it?

2. Find a Passion or Hobby
There are too many students out there who just phone-in volunteer hours so it will “look good” on their college application.  Yes, extra-curricular activities, leadership and volunteer services will make your college application appear more well-rounded.  But, college admissions folks weren’t born yesterday. They can tell the difference between surface-deep involvement in an activity and a heartfelt one.

A passion or a hobby can be anything.  Sports, birdwatching, an after-school job, tutoring, etc.  Find or continue doing what you love and what interests you.  It will be easier, and far more fun and motivating to grow and find leadership positions doing something you love versus something you think will look good on a resume.

3. Reach Out to Teachers
Your teachers are probably the most underused resource you have.  If they’re teaching at your school, they went to college and can offer up words of wisdom.  Ask questions about how they discovered they wanted to become teachers or if they know any field of study that you’d be interested in.  Just because it’s not on the syllabus doesn’t mean you can’t ask.

It’s also great to keep up a healthy relationship with a couple teachers because you might need a letter of recommendation in a few years.

4. Every Year Counts
Certain colleges will tell you that they disregard Freshman year from your transcript and GPA. For the most part, this is not the case. Do not throw away your freshman year out of the belief that “it doesn’t matter”. All of your grades go into your GPA, so keep up with your schoolwork.

Also, if you get involved in activities your freshman year, you’ll have more flexibility to move up and take on leadership opportunities that a person who starts in a club their sophomore or junior year won’t have.

5. Plan Your Summer Smartly
The summer going into your sophomore year can really set the pace for the rest of your high school career and college search.  Think about your priorities.  What do you want to be able to tell colleges when you apply to them?  If you want to show them your work ethic, perhaps taking on extra hours at your summer job is key.  If you want to show them you’re passionate about volunteering, volunteer! Apply for an internship at a local charity.   Use your time in the summer not only to have fun, but to keep yourself growing as a college-bound student.

6.  Keep an Eye Out for Scholarships
Paying for college is no small feat. In fact, if it were feet, it’d be huge feet.  There are tons of scholarships out there. Some are small. Some are huge.  The earlier you start looking and applying for scholarships, the more likely are you to acquire some scholarship money before you head off to college.

The sooner you start, the more ahead you’ll be in your college search.

Do you have tips for high school freshman about beginning their college search early? Comment and let us know!

You may have already fallen ill with senioritis, but paying for your college education is not an option, and here are 7 easy scholarships to help you start chipping away at that big tuition number.

1. Ayn Rand “Atlas Shrugged” Scholarships
84 scholarships between $50-$10,000 will be awarded to applicants who submit an essay on the book Atlas Shrugged.  That much money is definitely worth a book report. 

2. Directron.com College Scholarship
If you’re a tech geek, this scholarship should be easy as pie for you. 6 scholarships between $300-$1,000 will be awarded.   Deadline’s approaching, so start this one ASAP.

3. The Big Dig Scholarship
Can you think of one item sold in stores today that will be immensely valuable in 200 years? We have a feeling you’ll be able to think of something for a $3,000 scholarship…

4. Share Your Story Scholarship
Got a story to tell? This program is giving away $1,000-$9,000 to 6 applicants.

5. Cardonors.com Scholarship
Looking for an easy, no-stress scholarship to apply to? This $500 scholarship has a super easy application you could complete by the time you finish reading this description!

6. Healthy Lifestyle Scholarship
This $5,000 scholarship is designed to award students who embrace healthy lifestyles.  So put down the Funyons for this scholarship.

7. C.I.P. Scholarship
The College is Power scholarship is here to help students pay for tuition, books, room and board, computers or anything else related to your education! With a straightforward application and a deadline approaching, you should apply today!

And juniors! Don’t worry, here are some scholarships that could work for you!

Part of the college search, that is supremely helpful if you start early, is the scholarship quest.  We’ve made list of 8 great scholarships for juniors that they can apply to now!

1. The Discus Award
Every month, there’s a new $2,000 scholarship winner.  The Discus Awards recognize well-rounded, versatile students following their passions.

2. National Peace Essay Contest
Over 50 scholarships will be awarded between $1,000-$10,000.  What do you have to do to win? Write a killer essay.

3. The Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship
This is a merit-based program that helps students fulfill their dreams of a higher education.

4. Avar Press Literary Essay Scholarship
Avar Press is seeking to recognize, encourage, and reward scholarships to high school students who read a specific book and write an essay about it.

5. Abbot & Fenner Scholarship
This $1,000 scholarship is for a student who writes a 500-1000 word response to specified question. Easy!

6. Castle Ink’s Green Scholarship
Applicants must generate awareness of recycling by writing something inspiring and posting it online, including a link to castleink.com.  Not too difficult and good for the environment!

7. B. David Scholarship
College-bound juniors have the opportunity to win one of three $1,000 scholarships.

8. Win Win Plus Scholarship
Scholarships between $500 and $25,000 will be awarded to college-bound students who make a difference in at-risk kids’ lives.  It’s a win-win situation.

Looking for more scholarships? Go here!

So many college students sleep through their classes after pulling all nighters on assignments and papers.  Perhaps a phone call from their dean would help them get up for class?

Well, one high school is preemptively attacking this college problem. At one Massachusetts high school, chronic over-sleepers receive a robo-call from their principal telling them to wake up and get to school.   In recent years, the robo-call has mostly been used to notify families with students if school is cancelled or not due to weather.

Now, forward-thinking high schools are using this technology to boost their attendance rates and get kids in school learning, and hopefully, applying for college eventually.

Would you want an automated wake-up call to get you out of bed and in class on time?

At Cappex, we’re very familiar with the college search and decision process. We have some great tips we’d love to share with you on how to make your college decision so you can avoid resorting to “eenie meenie miny moe” to make your decision. In this post, we’ll talk about part 1: setting clear college priorities.  This pretty much means firmly understanding what you want out of your college experience.  If “college experience” is too vague a term, we’ll help break it down with these words of wisdom from the Cappex College Priorities Worksheet:

1. Location
The actual location of your college or university is a major factor.   If plane flights were free and time travel existed, a lot more of us would probably be studying way further from home.  So the question comes to down to where you would like to live for four years? How far from home are you comfortable being?

2. Academics
Do you know what you want to study in college?  Of the schools you were accepted to, which one has the better program for what you want to do?  Does one school have bigger classes than the other?  What type of environment do you want to learn in?

3. Campus
What are the major differences between the college campuses you’re choosing between? How long does it take to walk from the dorms to the union? Where are classes held? Is it urban or rural? Small differences in one college’s campus over the other might help you make your college decision.

4. Social Life
Some schools are more academic or more social than others, so you’ll want to find the perfect balance for you. A social life can involve parties, sports, arts, Greek life, whatever you’d want yours to revolve around.

Making the college decision is not an easy one. And if you really want help making your choice, try this worksheet.